Saturday/Sunday, June 30-July 1, 2012: Roger Reed, political polls and border patrol

No harm, no foul

Roger Reed, the most successful basketball coach in the history of Bangor High School, forced out. The called foul was a technical and the penalty very severe to Coach Reed and Bangor High School. Coach Reed is not only out of the game, he is also off the team, his uniform turned in.

I ask, who made the call? Was it the A.D., the principal, the school superintendent or the school board? Someone had to blow the whistle.

Regardless of who made the call, someone should have stepped up to the line and said, “No harm, no foul” and let Coach Reed lead the Rams for at least one more season and weigh the results.

Coach Reed has more than earned his letter.

Paul Graffam

Bangor

Trust in smaller polls?

Matthew Gagnon’s assertion that a recent MassINC poll of Mainers regarding the upcoming senatorial race is “out of step with reality” and “should be immediately discounted” is not only off-base, it reflects poorly on the author.

Calling himself a political strategist, Gagnon should recognize the factors going into the campaign as legitimate molders of the electorate, rather than immediately casting off realistic results as “utter nonsense.”

Gagnon claims the size of the poll (506 likely voters) is too small to be accurate. Yet he himself has cited polls with fewer numbers; in 2010 during the U.S. house race, he conducted and cited a poll surveying only 346 likely voters ( http://pinetreepolitics.bangordailynews.com/2010/10/10/ptp-mecpo-poll-shows-pingree-scontras-race-tightening/), while as recently as June 5, he tweeted ( http://twitter.com/MatthewGagnon/statuses/210117734934126594) celebrating an approval rating poll of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (a poll with a voter pool of 500) (http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/polls/4fce0fbbfb549a71f2000008).

Clearly, his trust in smaller polls is reserved for those that reflect positively on his party.

Tate Gale

Portland

Number 51

It must have been difficult to select the “50 Things To Do This Summer” presented in the weekend BDN. One opportunity that was not included (Number 51) is a chance to watch international artists create extraordinary sculpture from Maine granite. This will take place right

by the river in Orono from July 22 to Aug. 30. Don’t miss it!

To learn more about the Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium, go to www.schoodicsculpture.org. The eight sculptures created will be permanent art placed in local community sites.

Michelle Walker

Bangor

Loud motorcycle noise

The City of Belfast is concerned about the loud noise emanating from illegally modified motorcycle exhaust pipes that occasionally operate inside the city. They have asked that signs be installed to encourage motorcyclists to quiet their bikes as they run through the city. They also have asked the police to keep aware of this concern and to address any motorcycle that appears to be violating the law. The city hopes that public education and discussion will make working, living and visiting the city a great experience for everyone.

The city has not issued any bans on any type of vehicle in the city and to the best of my knowledge we have no intention of doing so. Please call City Manager Joe Slocum at 930-5138 with any questions.

Joe Slocum

Belfast

Liberty, license and marriage

This conservative/libertarian Mainer will be voting “to allow same-sex couples to marry.” It’s a clear and concise question, and despite interest group caterwauling, it’s exactly the way the question should be framed.

First, it is about “allowing.” Marriage licenses (which is what a large part of the proposal is about) are state permission (as in “permit) to form a family, and then enjoy (or suffer) all the marital perks and penalties that the state and civil society grant to or impose on state-sanctioned family units.

Getting government out of the marriage business would be my preferred path, but that certainly won’t appeal to the party of more government, and for some reason the party of less government doesn’t see it that way. Disentangling marriage from the tax code and the rest of our bloated state leviathan is probably impossible. If the state stays in the marriage business, it must not discriminate against protected classes, and in Maine that includes sexuality.

Jon Reisman

Cooper

Supporting Dill

As a former Washingtonian who recently moved to Maine, I find Angus King’s lead in the Senate race downright scary. King’s viewpoints are muddled and state-centric at best, while his rhetoric of “civility and making things work” lacks the conviction necessary of an effective legislator. I fear King would be vulnerable to the “compromises” (aka dirty politics) that characterize policy enactment in Washington.

King’s campaign encourages voters to try a “new” approach by electing “someone who’s not beholden to a party.” This line is clearly attempting to mimic the essence of Snowe’s and Collins’ Senate terms, rendering his approach perhaps the oldest trick in the Maine electorate’s book. King simply lacks the carefully calculated poise that Snowe and Collins have exuded for years. Any attempt to reach across the aisle from King would end in a vicious game of political tug-of-war reminiscent of Obama.

Maine needs a senator with the courage to blur party lines that exhibits the same powerful combination of eloquence and determination as Snowe and Collins. Though my opinion may be skewed by years spent as a political consultant in Washington, I believe Cynthia Dill brings far more to the table then King in terms of clarity and loyalty to Maine voters. If elected, I believe Dill would be better able to induce true compromise without needing to take advantage of the corrupt practices that are so rampant in Congress these days.

Samantha Oliver

Cumberland

Jackman shooting

I am writing in response to the shooting of the man in Jackman by U.S. border agents. I, like a lot of other people, have questions.

Were these agents trained in domestic violence situations? What was the rush to enter when the woman threatened was safely outside? Did they even try to talk to him? Why didn’t they wait for a trained state trooper? That is what we have a trained tactical unit for. Is this what we want from the border patrol?

Lets ask the commander of our Maine State Troopers if this is what he expected from the feds. Maybe the people of the State of Maine would be better off if the border patrol stayed at the border, and let our trained police officers handle all domestic situations.

Ernie Wallace Jr.

Winterport